Molly Ringwald Interviews John Hughes

Molly Ringwald Interviews John Hughes


To start with a meticulous reading of this interview published in Spring 1986 in the SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE, I found John Hughes a person full of silent humor. The intimate interview with Molly Ringwald was full of the warmth shared by the artist duo; there stack of movies together like Sixteen Candles, The breakfast Club and the High Light; Pretty in Pink, evidently disclose the relationship shared by them.

Taking Hughes’s successful career into context; his childhood was weirdly coordinated to his success. He mentions that his early days were mostly uncertain of a fixed home and he spent the most of it surrounded by girls and old people, leading his childhood with a lot of time to think to himself consequently broadening his imagination. He was inspired by great artists, comparatively at a small age; he mentions, “ then The Beatles came along,” indicates the importance of art in his life; other maestro’s like Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Picasso were significant figures in his future ambitions. Hughes’s primary idea about writing was always aimed to fields where he was best and was passionate about, which is very clear after learning that he made movies about Teens. His perspective about teenager’s and their way of living is also open minded and not restricted to the others his age, which is an important learning for all in present life too. Another contradicting aspect I learnt about him was his lack of interest in Teamwork in school days, whereas later he chose his career to be one of the best examples of Teamwork, Filmmaking.

The interview being in an informal biographical format shares with the reader a lot of humor and a personal touch about his point of views on filmmaking. His humble approach to his work is impressive and is a sign of a true artist. His way of setting all his movies in the suburbs of Chicago and then mentioning his dislike towards the Hollywood Spotlight attracts the audience to the feel the reality and sense of actuality in his films. It is not hard to figure out that the person loves what he does but hesitates to experiment, he says,” I tend to work with the same people; I really befriend them,” that gives us a clue that he does not want to work with different people and repeats the past collaborations that I personally think could sometimes be a restriction to an Artist.

Keeping in mind this informal interview, the end is perfect. The unscripted format of the interview allows both the interviewer and Hughes to shoot questions at each other, They both end with an answer; Molly ends by her future plan to complete college and John Hughes’s end at his never-ending list of things he is dying to do; concluding to an indecisive position of the author.